counting numbers
by winter.blush
Summary: Four times young Sasuke and Sakura slipped-up and the first time Itachi Uchiha took part in a betting pool. Oh, he is so gonna be rich. Non-massacre. Little Sasu/Saku.
1. Number one

**_"Last call for bets! Everybody! Last call! One. . ."_**

* * *

"One second!" The pink-haired girl shouted from somewhere inside one the rooms. Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed in irritation. He couldn't understand what else could be more important than _him_. He crossed his arms across his chest when _three_ seconds passed and still, his friend wasn't barreling into the living room with her toothy smile and annoying the hell out of him like what he expected her to do the first time. He expected her to drop everything she was doing when her mother announced the he, Sasuke Uchiha, her best friend, visited her in their house. His lips turned downwards in distaste when Sakura was still not yet there after another _five_ seconds. Sakura was making him wait. He does _not_ like waiting.

He didn't notice his older brother's watching eyes from beside him. Unnoticed by him, Itachi was smirking beneath the tea cup raised to his lips. Really, Itachi thought, his brother was always so restless when it comes to his Sakura.

Mebuki Haruno was discreetly looking at the little Uchiha boy glaring at the door to their living room while carefully setting the strawberry desserts on the table. She smiled. Really, her daughter shouldn't let her friend wait so much. She decided to put the adorable pouting boy out of his misery.

"Sakura Haruno! If you don't come here soon, I swear to Kami-sama I'll hide all your books somewhere even your dad would not find!"

As soon as the Haruno matriarch mentioned hiding books, soft pattering of feet could be heard from afar, getting louder by the second. At this, Sasuke's displeased frown formed back to his usual nonchalant expression. However, everybody could see the way his eyes crinkled fondly around the corners and his shoulders perk up from its crouched form.

From across the table, Kizashi Haruno narrowed his eyes at the young boy.

The door to the living room slowly opened and a pink head peeked in, her eyes searching. When emerald met onyx, the little girl let out a delighted squeal.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura ran past the door and stopped inches from where the little boy sat beside his aniki. "Look at what I'm wearing Sasuke-kun!" Sakura raised her arms, showing the flaps of her pink, cherry blossoms embossed kimono. Her hair was up in a bun, held by a large pink flower with three green beaded strings; which she took _so_ long to fix. She grinned and twirled in front of her friend, ecstatic that he was there when she first got her ceremonial kimono.

"Sasuke-kun look! It has cherry blossoms all over it! Isn't it beautiful, Sasuke-kun?" When she looked at the boy in question, she wasn't met with the loyal agreement that she wanted to see from him. Instead, she was met with a face covered with bangs.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun?" She asked her friend when the upper part of his face remained covered with his hair. She poked his shoulders and he flinched back as if electrocuted. Both the Haruno parents were confused with how the boy was acting, even Itachi frowned in curiosity. What was wrong with his otouto?

When her friend flinched at her touch, Sakura promptly stepped back, afraid that she did something to hurt him. "Sasuke-kun. . .are you okay?"

Sasuke Uchiha nodded, his eyes still hidden by his hair.

"Are you sure?"

Sasuke Uchiha nodded.

"Do you need anything?" Sakura asked, after all, he was in her home. She was trained to be hospitable by her Okaa-san.

Sasuke Uchiha shook his head. Sakura sat down beside Sasuke in childish ignorance and everybody started eating the delicious desserts Mebuki prepared for the afternoon. Kizashi was asking Itachi about his training while the matriarch fussed over all of them, making sure that their cups are always filled with tea. Little Sakura chatted away happily about what she did that morning and how her mother helped her wear the kimono. Sasuke remained silent throughout the afternoon snack, more silent than usual. Not a single peep was heard from the little boy.

Itachi Uchiha was growing more concerned.

The Harunos were just plain confused.

Sakura was unperturbed by her friend's silence. After all, her Sasuke-kun was not really known to be a chatter.

When the little Haruno finished the story about her adventures while tying the obi to her kimono, she turned to ask a question to her almost mute friend. "Should I wear the kimono too when I visit your house, Sasuke-kun?"

The two children didn't notice the table grow unusually quiet, watching their interaction like a shadow show. Everybody could sense that this was _the_ _question_.

Mebuki was listening in rapt attention, so invested with the direction of where the cute relationship of the two kids was going.

Kizashi was at the edge of his seat, silently daring the Uchiha boy to say the wrong thing; to make his _flower princess_ cry. Oh, if he _dare_; his fingers already itching in bloodlust.

Itachi, noticing his sensei's glare to his younger brother, was silently praying- yes, praying- that Sasuke would miraculously grow a bone about socialization and say the right thing.

After a long three second-silence, with Sakura, still looking in question at her friend, Sasuke finally answered.

"Don't."

Sakura's pretty grin faltered. Mebuki's eyes dropped in disappointment. Kizashi was poised to get his hands on the young boy's neck. Itachi was seconds away from hauling his younger brother out of the house, away from his murderous sensei.

"It might get dirty when we play. The. . ."

Sasuke paused.

". . .sakuras pretty," He finally mumbled out after a few seconds.

Sakura, glad to hear that the reason why Sasuke didn't want her to wear the kimono was because he thought the sakura designs were pretty and he didn't want her to dirty it. She immediately broke to giggles. "Baka no Sakura. Of course, of course. I didn't think about it like that. So smart Sasuke-kun! I'll just wear another dress tomorrow!" She grinned, her mind finally distracted by the unfinished dango in front of her.

Mebuki mentally pumped her arms in victory; if a boy knew how to complement a woman's clothes, he's on his way to knowing how to complement the woman herself.

Kizashi was frozen in confusion; should he strangle the boy? But the Uchiha brat didn't actually say a bad thing. . .it was a fact, after all that his princess's kimono might get dirty. He even complemented the designs. But still, he felt like the right answer by his standards should have been _yes_.

Itachi meanwhile wanted to congratulate his otouto. He can't believe he almost missed it. If he wasn't sitting directly beside his little brother when he moved his face, he wouldn't have noticed those two little patches of red on his cheeks and catch his otouto's little slip-up. Really, Sasuke was no doubt smarter than him at that age, with that kind of skill to play with words. He snorted, covering it with a cough. Uchihas are perfect with everything, they wouldn't ever be caught saying anything grammatically incorrect.

_The sakuras pretty._ Itachi mentally laughed. _More like, Sakura's pretty._


	2. Number two

_**"Last call for bets! Everybody! Last call! One..."**_

_**"Oh seriously Tadashi, stop making a big deal out of this!"**_

_**"Shut it Luna. This is a very serious matter. Now, I repeat, last call! Place in your bets everybody! Two–"**_

* * *

Two boys surrounded his friend. Neither one of them _him_. Sasuke Uchiha was not pleased.

It was his first time going to the public playground because Sakura told him the day before that it was _fun_. More fun than playing at his house, which he wants to emphasize, is the _largest_ and _grandest_ house in their village. So, not wanting to miss out, he told his aniki to drop him off here, instead of going with him to watch him train, like what he usually does during the weekends.

The first thing he sees when the playground came into view are orange and green blobs hovering around _his_ friend in the middle of the sandbox. Playgrounds are _not_ fun. At all.

The worst part is that he had been there for almost five minutes and Sakura still hasn't noticed him. No, her attention was held by the two idiots dressed in puke-worthy colored clothes standing in front of her. Sasuke could feel his ears go red.

He stomped his way towards the sandbox. Since Sakura's back was to him, she never noticed his presence. But she's _Sakura_ and he's _Sasuke_, she _should_ have noticed him.

But those two _viruses_ kept talking to his Sakura.

"Sakura-chan! I wanna give you this pretty flower as a sign of my love!" The green-clothed boy declared, waving his arms in a grand gesture.

Sasuke decided right then and there that he hated the color green. And fuzzy eyebrows. And disgustingly dying daisies.

"Sakura-chan! I'll buy you the most delicious ramen in the world!" The blonde kid who looks like a cat shouted, grinning widely.

_Ramen is disgusting,_ Sasuke thinks. _Sakura should not be eating food as unhealthy as that. Tomatoes, however. . ._

Sasuke was now behind the kneeling pink-haired girl and the orange and green weirdos continue yapping stupid love declarations for the world to hear. He could not see what Sakura's expression is.

He grunted, trying to get Sakura's attention, but the loud voices that belonged to the two boys sitting in front of his friend overpowered his signature grunt.

"You should see my ninja moves Sakura-chan! Nobody could beat. . ."

Sasuke stomped his feet. Still, Sakura's attention was towards _them._

". . .will use the power of youth to save you from snakes and evil ninjas! No one should harm. . ."

He coughed out loud; and yet she still didn't turn to him.

". . .and someday I'm gonna be Hokage, Sakura-chan! And I will protect. . ."

He started snapping his fingers, only to realise that he looked silly. And Uchihas _never_ look _silly_.

Sasuke Uchiha was certainly _not_ amused. He just wanted to whine and stomp his feet until Sakura ignored those _monkeys_ (Yes, monkeys is a very applicable word for them) and notice him. But Sasuke doesn't want to stoop down to those monkeys' level who desperately scream just to get Sakura's attention.

No. He's an Uchiha, and Uchihas never stoop down. So he did the only thing he could.

He glared at her back.

_Look at at at at at me._

"You know, Sakura-chan, it would be so cool if- ah. . .um Sakura-chan. . .there's a scary looking boy glaring behind you."

One second, his intense gaze was directed at pink hair; then the next, onyx clashed with emerald. _Finally,_ Sasuke cheered inside his head. Not that he would let it out. Uchihas never cheer.

His green-eyed friend twisted her body to look at him in surprise. "Sasuke-kun? What are you doing here?"

Sasuke then realized that her eyes might be green like one of the annoying monkey's clothes, but hers was a different shade. More like the color of the sun-reflected leaves he could see whenever he sits on top of his aniki's shoulders. Her green was even brighter, fuller.

He preferred her green.

"Hey! Who are you? Are you one of Sakura's bullies? We won't let you hurt our youthful Sakura-chan!"

The little Uchiha was snapped out of his thoughts when the words of the green monkey registered in his mind. His fists clenched from inside his pocket. Did he just call Sakura _theirs_?

"Lee's right! We won't let you hurt our Sakura-chan!" And then the orange monkey decided to be stupid and moved to stand on the space between Sasuke and Sakura, blocking his view of her.

Wrong. Move.

"Move." Sasuke growled, narrowing his eyes at them. And then, with the thought that it will look cool for Sakura if they protect her from the bully, the green monkey named Lee moved to stand guard beside the orange one; effectively cutting Sasuke's sight of Sakura. How dare they?!

He set his stance, took out his clenched fists from his pocket and lifted them to his shoulders, ready to attack. He would show them what happens to those who mess with _Sasuke Uchiha_.

In turn, the monkeys also imitated him, although with more reluctance.

"STOP!"

A little irritated voice made the three boys freeze. They all turned to see that the little girl they're fighting over with has now stood up, hands on her hips and eyes glaring at them.

"I can't believe you guys! We're in a playground! Everybody here is supposed to get along and have fun! Okaa-chan always says that fighting is bad! _Nobody_ is allowed to fight in a _playground_! What if one of you gets hurt?! Would you know what to do?! Huh?!" Sakura screamed, pointing a finger in aggravation at the three frozen boys.

For the first time in his life, somebody else aside from his father and aniki made Sasuke feel scared.

"If this is how you will act, I'm never gonna play with any of you again!" Sakura exclaimed with finality before turning her back to the three chastised boys, walking away.

_No no no no_, Sasuke thought. He couldn't let Sakura leave him. It's just _not done_. This isn't what he thought would happen when he came here. _This couldn__'__t be happening. No no no no. . ._

He watched, frozen, as his pink-haired friend stomped farther away from them while the two monkeys cried out desperate words after her.

Sasuke was left with no choice. There's only one thing he could do. He only did this _technique_ twice to his aniki, and on both instances, the _technique_ worked successfully. He closed his eyes to prepare himself. He took a deep breath. And. . .

* * *

Itachi was halfway to the training grounds when he remembered that the tomatoes his otouto usually eat as a snack were still inside his personal pack. He quickly raced back to the playground knowing how grumpy Sasuke would get once he realized he wouldn't be able to eat his favourite snack. Grumpy Sasuke was never a good Sasuke.

When he arrived at the playground he was not exactly surprised by the scene that greeted him.

Itachi Uchiha, for the first time of his existence, was _dumbfounded_.

In fact, it was something so shocking that it made his jaw uncharacteristically drop open. It was _that staggering_.

Yes, it was not a secret that Sasuke wasn't really fond of people older, younger, and of the same age as him (except for family and a _particular cherry blossom_). However, Itachi has never, _ever_, seen his little brother seriously fight with anybody before. He knows his otouto have a short fuse (something he finds quite endearing) and prone to having multiple tantrums a day (still half-endearing, sometimes), but he has never seen Sasuke shaking in fury with such hate-filled eyes directed at another person. Until now.

When the three boys standing in the middle of the sandbox started raising their arms in a fighting stance he was quite familiar with, Itachi briefly wondered if he should interfere. After all, if his otouto was acting this way, those two boys with utter disregard for socially acceptable colors for clothes must have done something very, _very_ wrong.

_And, of course, someone might get hurt. _He added as an afterthought.

But before he could even start moving, a loud feminine voice halted anything violent that was about to erupt between his otouto and the two other boys. He didn't see her before since the two other boys were blocking his view of her, but now that he could see little Sakura, his eyebrows rose way up his forehead.

He never knew Sasuke's sweet friend could be such a spitfire.

He watched as tiny Sakura started screaming and glaring, a finger sternly pointed at the boys, while they in turn stood there, frozen in fear. Looking utterly chastised.

It was so priceless that he couldn't hold the snort that came out of his mouth. One-half of him was amused as hell by the show he was watching, while the other half was curious – curious on how his otouto would react to the spitfire's fury.

Itachi was watching tiny Sakura walk away after her speech with an impressed smirk on his face when he heard somebody started sniffing. Then a familiar cry rang throughout the playground. An _extremely_ familiar cry.

His very proud, full of dignity, little brother was crying. His face scrunched in pain, tears falling freely down his face.

Wait, no. Sasuke was _sobbing_.

Itachi blinked. He only saw his otouto cry twice before (after he surpassed the clueless baby stage, of course). And on both occasions, it was just the two of them; when there were no witnesses. But now he's watching Sasuke sob in a very public place, with other people around.

(Itachi tried to squish the urge to take Sasuke up in his arms and _take care_ of the person who made his otouto cry.)

It looks like he was not the only one affected by Sasuke's cries because Sakura stopped walking and turned to look at the crying boy with wide eyes.

"Sasuke-kun. . ."

"I-I'm sorry Sakura-chan! I just wanted to play with you."

Whispered sweetness.

Tearful, dejected eyes.

Pouting lips.

Irresistible sniffing.

Itachi blinked again and watched Sakura's determined look melt. He continued to watch as Sakura ran towards his otouto to hug him with assurances ("Don't worry Sasuke-kun, I'll play with you. I'm not mad at you anymore. It's gonna be okay.")

And because he continued to watch, he saw it. He saw it when Sasuke hugged Sakura back, his arms clinging around her possessively. He also saw it when Sasuke put his chin on Sakura's shoulder and _smirked_ at the two other gaping boys.

And because third time's the charm, Itachi finally understood.

When Itachi Uchiha arrived late at the training grounds, the other members immediately forgot to ask why he was late. Because for the first time in their lives, they saw him laughing heartily while clutching a small bag of tomatoes.

Itachi figured Sasuke would be okay without his tomatoes. After all, he seemed to prefer cherries now.


End file.
